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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to confront
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — child
  13. face — part of the head
  14. last — finally
  15. bass — low music
  16. ground — a position
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com